Arizona teachers getting national credential

In the past five years, Arizona has more than doubled the number of teachers who have national-board certification, a voluntary, rigorous teaching credential.

The newest batch of nationally certified teachers in the state totals 107, one of the largest groups ever, according to Kathy Wiebke, executive director of the Arizona K12 Center, a non-profit agency that helps teachers in the difficult process.

Overall, 957 teachers in the state have earned the certification, more than double the 461 teachers total certified in 2006-07. The districts with the most newly certified teachers are the Tucson Unified School District, with 15, and the Scottsdale Unified School District, with 13, although one of those has retired. Gilbert Public Schools has the most overall, with 105, including one newly certified teacher.

National studies have found that students score higher on standardized tests when they have a teacher who is nationally certified.

The certification, awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, requires a teacher to spend months proving that his or her students are actually learning. Teachers turn in a portfolio, which includes videos, and take a written test.

Wiebke said the intense reflection and analysis are something that teachers aren’t always required to do.

“How does their teaching impact student learning and how can they showcase that? They have to constantly look for evidence in their practice over time,” said Wiebke, who became the state’s first nationally certified teacher in 1996.

Teachers who want to pursue the award must first attend an eight-week course outlining the process. After that, some say “it’s not for me,” or will defer a few years, Wiebke said.

The center provides coaching with teachers who have already been certified, as well as weekend seminars and technical assistance.

The process, which can take one to three years, also is expensive, costing about $2,500.

The Arizona K12 Center, along with federal money provided to the state Department of Education, has provided scholarships for about 100 teachers to attain the certification, Wiebke said. But the federal funding will evaporate, and for the first time teachers may be turned away for scholarships, she said. The center is looking for corporate support or other donations to make up the difference.

For this year, the state Department of Education received $136,000 to pay for the process, according to Beth Driscoll, a program manager in the department.

In Scottsdale, which has 57 active board-certified teachers, the SUSD Foundation donated $10,000 to help defray costs.

“The public needs to know that this is one of the highest levels of achievement in the teaching profession, and it will do as much or more than anything else to provide a terrific learning environment for our kids,” said Mary Manross, chairwoman of the Scottsdale Unified School District’s foundation.

Many districts pay nationally board-certified teachers a stipend.

In Scottsdale, it’s $3,000 a year.

Wiebke said the process makes teachers more confident.

“For the teachers, it reaffirms ‘I do make a difference,’ and for those that are not hitting the marks, there are some brutally honest moments as well,” she said.

Alaina Adams, the national-board director for the Arizona K12 Center, said the certification is even more relevant now that students’ test scores will be included in teachers’ evaluations.

“Our students will be expected to meet the Common Core Standards, and I should be reaching for my professional standards as well,” said Adams, who was certified in 2008.

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